Fairford Town 2 Brimscombe & Thrupp 7
Bereft of ten first team players, Fairford Town went down to a 7-2 home defeat to Brimscombe & Thrupp on Wednesday evening. With Aaron Dainton, Nathan Gambling, David Hemmings, Josh Morse, Ben Newman, Lewis Petrie, Jamie Reid, Dan Reynolds, George Thrussell and Lyndon Tomkins all ruled out through injury or unavailability – it was a threadbare squad that lined up for this Hellenic Premier Division contest.

Brimscombe took full advantage with a polished performance with striker Ollie Pitt leading the way with a lively display. The visitors made a quickfire start as the home side yet again conceded early as a superb free-kick from top scorer Pitt broke the deadlock with six minutes played. David Woodfield doubled the advantage five minutes later with a powerful back post header before the hosts could gather themselves.

Steve Hall’s inch-perfect cross was headed home by Lee Smith with 23 minutes played and at 2-1; it looked like the home side would get back into the game. However, when Pitt tucked away a penalty on the half hour it looked as though the points were heading back to The Meadow.

Karl Nash powered home a fourth on the hour with Jack Smith heading home a corner with 74 on the clock. Liam Gale pressured visiting defender Kyle Pitts into bundling the ball into his own net three minutes later to make it 5-2 with Smith netting his second of the night for the visitors soon after.

The scoring was rounded off with an 85th minute own goal as the hosts played out the closing stages with ten men with striker James Campbell forced off injured. A night to forget for the hosts who will have to gather themselves ahead of Saturday’s league visit of fellow strugglers Ascot United.

Fairford Town 2 Brimscombe & Thrupp 7 (away view)
Brimscombe boss Sam Prior recently said “It’s a matter of time before the goals start to flow” and he was correct when his side headed to Cinder Lane to take on League newcomers Fairford Town.

Brimscombe started the better through some great link-up play before Ben Deakin volleyed a shot towards goal but missed the target. It wasn’t long before the first goal was scored, Ollie Pitt found the top corner from a free-kick in a dangerous area. Five minutes later Ben Deakin’s low cross in from the left across goal found Dave Woodfield who was rushing in at the back post before he knocked it in to make it 2 foe the visitors. Karl Nash decided to try his luck when the Fairford goalkeeper was off his line, Nash found the top of the crossbar. The hosts then took the ball up the other end and pulled one back. Ben Deakin made a darting run into the box before being brought down by his man giving the Lilywhites a penalty, up stepped Ollie Pitt who had no trouble in putting the ball away.

The second half started much the same as the first with Brimscombe still playing lovely football. The Lilywhites captain, Karl Nash, saw all his hard work pay off when his rocket shot found the net before he was subbed off for Jack Smith and Ben Deakin was replaced by Lee Bowles. Jack Smith found the net with a header from a well delivered corner. Josh Beadle came on for Dave Woodfield. Confusion late on caused Kyle Pitts to nudge the ball into his own net giving Fairford another before Jack Smith soon found the net up the other end. Fairford added to their woes as they scored a own goal in the dying minutes. It was a fantastic performance by the Lilywhites despite still having some key players missing.

Longlevens AFC 1 Highworth Town 6 (away view)
This was a well-balanced game for the first half-hour or so but the Worthians looked very sharp going forward and it seemed inevitable that the balance would tip the way of the visitors as the game progressed and the Gloucester men tired.

After ten minutes of play, a Levens attack saw Garry Aulsberry partially block an attempt at goal and then somehow, Ryan Stanners managed to get his head on a goalbound effort for it to canon off the crossbar. A rapid counter-attacking move from the Worthians then ended with Aysa Corrick shooting accurately from ouitside the box for the first score of the evening. Levens were back in the match after twenty minutes when the stretched Worthian defence were not able to clear their lines, leaving Mason Lewis to carry the ball into the penalty box and slot home coolly for the equaliser.

The Worthians should have been back in front when a brilliant move involving Nick Stanley and Callum Parsons left Aysa Corrick in on goal but Tom Kaye saved the shot with his legs. Dan Drewett found himself in on goal too some five minutes later but he pulled the shot wide of an upright. However, with ten minutes left of the half, the Worthian winger carried the ball down the right flank and passed it into Chris Taylor who then dribbled it into the penalty area and took a shot. Luke Kavanagh blocked the ball on the line but Chris's momentum had carried him forward so that the rebound hit him on the chest and went in! Just before the break, Ryan Stanners carried the ball forward down the right flank and delivered a great cross to the near post for Keiron Gleed to run on to and volley home from close range to virtually end the contest.

The second half saw the Worthians dominate for long periods but Levens were not giving up and they competed for every ball and tried to get forward themselves. However, the Worthians were on fire, scoring three more goals in the process. The first of these came after five minutes of the restart when Ryan Stanners played a great one-two with Aysa Corrick and blasted the ball into the top of the net. With a quarter of an hour to go, Nick Stanley cleared a Levens attack by heading the ball out to Keiron Gleed who played a superb first time through ball for Aysa Corrick to run on to and the tireless Worthian front man lobbed the keeper from 25 yards out.

Just as the game was drawing to a close, Callum Parsons played the ball out to Aaron Ferris who turned his man and laid the ball back for Ryan O'Hara to wallop into the net. Longlevens played well and stuck to their task with determination but they were no match on the night for a rampant Worthians who go back to the top of the table for their ninth win from their opening nine league games.

Tuffley Rovers 0 Royal Wootton Bassett Town 2
Tuffley Rovers succumbed to a fifth straight defeat in all competitions - and a third straight defeat in the league - as they failed to turn a healthy share of possession into goals, at Glevum Park on Tuesday night. Visitors Royal Wootton Bassett Town arrived at Glevum Park with their recent form diametrically opposed, with four straight wins for the Wiltshire side coming into the game, and they had an early chance, when Sam Packer got the wrong side of his man, only to be denied by a good block from young Rovers keeper, Kane Winman, who was standing in for the injured Dave Evans.

If Rovers had hopes that Winman's early save might be the catalyst for a change in fortune, they were quickly undone, as Packer's striking colleague, Sam Collier, rose highest from a Gia Mhora corner and headed the ball home from six yards. Despite falling behind, against a back-drop of poor recent results, Rovers appeared anything but despondent and mounted pressure on the visiting goal, with Macaulay Herbert having the best opportunity to level the scores, only to head Liam Wright's set piece wide of the Wootton Bassett goal.

Dominant in possession and restricting their opponents to counter-attacking play, albeit with Mhora, Packer and Collier posing a genuine threat, Rovers enjoyed the Lion's share of the possession and the territorial advantage, but that superiority - with twelve corner kicks to Bassett's solitary goalscoring effort - was rarely converted into chances and Dan Lawrence's wonderful stop from Shayne Bradley's header aside, they didn't greatly trouble the visiting goal and the half ended with Collier's goal the difference between the two teams.

The second period started in a similar vein, although Bassett enjoyed a healthier share of the possession than they had in the first half. Another half chance for Rovers came within minutes, after Warren Mann cut inside, beating two defenders with ease and crossing, but it was a little too high and Herbert was stretching every muscle in his neck, as he headed the ball a yard wide of Lawrence’s goal. Mann then created a chance of his own, beating two defenders with ease, once again, but his shot was tame and Lawrence saved comfortably, to keep the score in the visitors’ favour.

It was far from one-way traffic and Winman, who was making only his third appearance in Hellenic League football, produced a smart save to deny Collier, as the Bassett forward bore down on goal. Rovers’ full-back Sam Hill then had two chances to shoot on goal, with his first blocked and once the ball had rebounded back to him, he drove a low, crisp shot goalwards, only to see the ball arrive comfortably in Lawrence’s grasp. A long throw from the recalled Danny Wallington then caused a degree of panic in the Bassett penalty area, only for Mann’s subsequent shot to be deflected away and Rovers were made to pay for their profligacy, as Bassett extended their lead just five minutes later.

Sam Packer fell under a challenge from Shayne Anson, who was attempting to clear a loose ball, as he caught the Bassett front-man, and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a spot-kick, which Collier promptly despatched beyond Winman’s dive. With a two-goal cushion to add to the confidence that inevitably flows with a run of victories, it was perhaps inevitable that the visiting team would look to close the game down and that was to prove the case, as Royal Wootton Bassett Town defended resolutely and held out to win the game 2-0.

Perpetua Press Floodlit Cup

Shortwood United Reserves 4 Pewsey Vale 5 (away view)
A bit of a trek midweek for the Vale, which saw a 9 goal thriller! Brilliant if you were a neutral. Not a good evening for keepers and defences further to the swirling wet weather which made the ball skid of the surface.

Shortwood took the lead in 10th minute when the young Vale centre back Jake force jones lost his footing which allowed James Singh a free header. Vale bounced back on 15 mins with a free kick from Lee smith. Vale were then undone by some good play down the right which resulted in a great top corner finish from Louis Preyton on 20 mins. Vale again came back when the ball arrived at the feet of Haydn amor who produced a superb finish on 24 mins. Shortwood not to be undone scored again after 37 mins with a controversial goal which appeared to be well offside.

After a good halftime chat in which the management requested better possession of the ball only to see vale fall a further goal down after a gift from the vale keeper in the first 5 mins, Now last season this would have ended up in complete self destruction, but FairPlay to the lads who dug deep and produced a second half performance full of pride and passion. On 66 mins Haydn Amor was in action again eventually being fouled in the penalty area after a great forward run, up stepped Lee smith to make it 4-3 from the spot. Vale continued to press and were rewarded with a great finish from substitute Mark Jones on 81 mins with a precise finish after the Shortwood defence failed to clear 4-4, either side could have gone onto win it but both keepers handled well at the depth in difficult conditions when called upon. One last attack in the 92nd minute as extra time was looming saw Vale substitute Cam Mackenzie produce a sublime cross from the right hand side which would have split any defence only to be met by the advancing Scott Chillcott 4-5 Vale!

Amazing game which unfortunately someone had to lose!

Wycombe Senior Cup

Amersham Town 2 Chalfont Wasps 2 (Wasps lose 3-2 on penalties)

This floodlit cup derby had much endeavour but lacked any real quality. Both sides ‘huffed and puffed’ to stop each other playing and neither found any consistent pattern of play.

Despite many half chances coming and going the first period ended at 0-0. In the second half Wasps took the lead twice. Michael Moore forcing home from a corner after 73 minutes. Carlos Mullor Gomez levelled for Amersham three minutes later. Mason Wright fierce cross-shot found the far corner, and it looked all over after 88 minutes. However, Gomez bagged his brace deep into extra time. 2-2, No extra time, so it went to penalties.

Three of the four initial pens were missed or saved. Amersham had their noses in front at 2-1 and again after 8 pens at 3-2; Wasps 5th pen was saved – all over.